Sweat drain on windows



Feb. 7, K A WEBER SWEAT DRAIN ON WINDOWS Filed Jan. 6, 1932 In veniorAltorney I Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KARL A.WEBER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 'TO WEBER SHOWCASE &

FIXTURE COMPANY, 013' LOS FOBNIAe Application filed January 6, 1932.Serial No. 584,947.

I This invention relates generally to window frame construction andparticularly to the construction of window frames for refrigeratorshowcases. The glass in such showcases is commonly maintained at atemperature considerably lower than that of the air of the room in whichthe case is located so that if the air of the room is at all humid, thedew point is above the temperature of the glass, and more or lessmoisture condenses on the outer surface thereof and runs down onto thefloor. Likewise, in cold weather water sometimes condenses on the insidesurface of the exterior show windows of stores and accumulates inpuddles on the floors of the display space. 7

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple yet effectivewindow construction fordraining condensation out below the glass to theinside of the showcase, or to the outside of the display window, as thecase maybe; thus preventing the accumulation of water on the floor ofthe building.

The invention will now be explained with reference to the drawing inwhich: a

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a refrigerated showcase; f

Figure 2 is a detail elevational view showing the construction of thesweat drain at the base of the display glass; and 1 Figure 3 is a viewin the plane IIIIII of Fi -ure 2. v

fieferring to Figure 1, a refrigerated showcase is depicted comprising afront wall 1, a fioor 2, a rear wall 3, a top 4:, and a display glass 5.Sliding doors 6 are provided in the wall 3, to permit the insertion orremoval of articles to be displayed, and a rack 7 is provided forsupporting the article to be displayed. Cooling pipes may be located inthe upper part of the case as shown at 8, or they may be positionedelsewhere within the showcase as desired. A base designated generally at9, which may be of any desired construction, is at a desired elevationabovethe floor;

provided to support the case This invention relates only to theconstruction of the window frame for supporting and sealing the loweredge of the display glass 5,

ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF GALI- SWEAT Imam 0N mnows f andthis frame will now be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. p p

Referring to Figure 2, the wall 1 is pref erably constructed with a woodframework which maybe faced with tile 10 on the outside. It is the usualpractice to line the lower part of the interior of a refrigeratorshowcase with metal to make it water-tight-and prevent wetting of thewood walls and thus reducing their heat insulating value. Therefore, inaccordance with the present invention,-a sheet metal lining v 11 isprovided which extends along the floor 2, and up along the walls. On thefront wall this metal lining, is bent V I forsupporting the rack 7 andis then molded outwardly to form a shoulder 12 along the top of the wall1 to a point 13 from between the front face of glass 5 and-theupturnedportion 19 of the sheetmetal, (for convenience in the description,theportion of the sheet metal 11 overlying the top of wall '1 willbecalled thesheet metal sill). I

Likei To secure and maintain the lower edge of glass 5 against blocks 17a metal retaining strip 18 is provided. This strip extends lonsecured inplace by screws 22 screwed into the wall 1. Washers 20 are insertedbetween the metal sill 19 and the strip 18'to separate them and permitdrainage of water therebetween.

The forward edge of strip 18 isbent upward parallel to'the rear surfaceof the glass 5 and Y the top edge is folded over as shown at 21 tocontact with the glass.

It is sometimes desired to provide a tray immediately back of the lower.-edge of the:-

gitudinally above the metal sill 19 and is glass in a refrigeratorshowcase, and in such 7 cases the strip 18 may be extended upwardly andrearwardly from the innercorner of wall 1, as shown, to formatrough-shaped receptacle. The'trough so formed is sometimes termed aspinach rack. It may be provided with holes 23 to permit drainage of anywater that may accumulate.

To give the showcase a finished appearance, a metal nosing strip 24 isprovided on the frontupper corner of the wall 1. This nosing strip maybe extended down a short distance over the front wall and be securedthereto by screws 25 passing into the wall. Above the corner of thewall, strip 24 is bent back and upwardly to a point adjacent the frontsurface of the glass 5 and. above the lip 14 of the extended metal sill19. To make the nosing 24 rigid and to space it from'the front face ofthe glass 5, the inner edge may be'exten'ded downwardly to form a lip26, and the lower edge of this lip may be crimped inwardly to formprojecting portions 27 adapted to contact with the front face of theglass at intervals.

hen a showcase of the type described is in operation, the temperaturewithin the case is usually maintained very low. That is, it

may be in the vicinity of the freezing point of water, whereas, the airoutside of the case will usually be from 20 to warmer. The glass 5 istherefore maintained at a temperature considerably below that of the airin contact with the outer surface thereof, and if this air contains anyappreciable amount of moisture, as it usually does, the glass sweats.That is, moisture condenses from the air upon the surface of the glassas a fog which increases until the water accumulates in drops and flowsdown to the lower edge of the glass.

With the structure provided, such water flowing downward over the outersurface of glass 5 passes down between the edge 26 of the nosing stripand the glass, thence down between the glass and the'upturned portion19' ofthe metal sill, and then along the top of the metal sill below theedge of the glass 5, and under the securing strip 18 to the inner edgeof the metal strip from which point .it drains to the floor of theshowcase. A drain (not shown) may be provided in the floor of theshowcase.

Although a particular construction has been described for use inconnection with a showcase having a sloping glass front, it is apparentthat the invention is also applicable to frames for supporting glassvertically, and

is thus adaptable to standard window con- 5 struction. Of course, if theinvention is applied to the outer windows of a building,the nosing strip24, and the upstanding edgel8 of the metal sill will form the interiorportion of the frame, since moisture condenses on the inside of suchwindows and this invention will be utilized to drain such moisture tothe exterior of the building.

I claim: I 7

1. In window construction a pane of glass, means for supporting saidpane, said supporting means comprising a sill member extending below thelower edge of said pane, means for spacing the lower edge of said panefrom said sill, said sill member extending downwardly away from saidpane on one side and extending upwardly in spaced relation from saidpane on the other'side,r-.and a nosing extending upwardly over the saidupwardly extending portion of said sill whereby said portion isconcealed, theedge of said nosing being spaced from' said pane to'permit drainage therebetween.

2. A window frame construction for join ing the lower edge of a pane ofglass to a wall supporting it comprising, in combination, a sheet metalsill member resting on top of said wall beneath the lower edge of saidpane and extending outwardly and downwardly I over the edge of said wallon one side and extending upwardly parallel to but spaced from the faceof said pane on the other side, means for spacing the'lower edge of thepane from the portion of said sill therebelow, and means secured to saidsill on said one side for maintaining-the pane in desired spacedrelation to the upwardly extending portion of said sill (50 on the otherside.

3. A-window frame construction for j oining the lower edge of a pane ofglass to a wall supporting it comprising, in combination, a sheet metalsill member resting on top of said wall beneath the lower edge of saidpane and extending outwardly and downwardly over the edge of said wallon one side and extending upwardly parallel to but spaced from the faceof said pane on the other side, means for spacing the lower edge of thepane from the portion of said sill therebelow, means secured to saidsill on said one side for maintaining the pane in desired spacedrelation to the upwardly extending portion of. said sill on the Otherside, and a sheet metal nosing strip secured to the other side of saidwall and extending upward over the edge thereof to a point adjacent butspaced from the face, of said pane and above the upturned edge of saidsill member.

4. A window frame construction as, described in claim 3, furthercharacterized in that the edge of said nosing strip adjacent said paneis crimped toward said pane at intervalsalong its length to contact withthe face of said pane and thereby uniformly space the major portionofsaid edge'from said pane. r j

- 5. In refrigerator caseconstruction, an enclosure, a portion of thewall of which comprises apane of glass, awall of greater thickness thansaid pane positioned therebelow, a sheet metal sill extended from theinterior'of 1 said wall out over the top of said wall below the edge ,ofsaid pane and upturned adjacent the outer surface of said pane butspaced therefrom, blocks between the lower edge of said pane and'saidmetal sill, and other blocks betweenthe front edge of said pane and saidfto upturned edge for spacing said pane from said sill, a securing stripextending along the top of said metal sill inside of said pane and incontact therewith for holding it a ainst said last-named spacing blocks,means or se curing said strip to said Wall in spaced re-- lation to saidmetal sill to permit drainage thereunder, and a metal nosing stripsecured to the outer edge of said Wall, and extending upwardly andrearwardly tothe front face of said pane at a point above the upturnededge of said metal sill.

Signed at Los Angeles, California this 22nd day of December, 1931.

KARL A. WEBER.

